Quebec Premier Jean Charest speaks during a news conference presenting Plan Nord, a multibillion-dollar plan to develop the province's remote northern region.
When politicians allow for partisanship to get in the way of defining electoral boundaries, rarely does democracy win.
These days democracy is taking a beating in Quebec, after Premier Jean Charest's Liberal government made the unilateral decision to define new electoral boundaries for the next provincial election.
Under Quebec's election law, that task is left up to an independent commission headed by the chief electoral officer, who is appointed by a unanimous vote from the Members of the National Assembly.
The province's former chief electoral officer, Marcel Blanchet, diligently went about his business after the 2008 provincial vote in compliance with a law that requires a review of the boundaries after two elections. In keeping with the strict criteria also established under the law, he conducted his review based on the principle that the vote of each elector is of equal weight.
Mr. Blanchet's task involved taking into account, according to the law, the "demographical, geographical and sociological considerations, such as the population density, the relative growth rate of the population, the accessibility, area and shape of the region, the natural local boundaries and the territory of local municipalities."
Quebec is divided into 125 ridings. The current law states that there can be no fewer than 122 ridings and no more than 125.
At the end of what became a difficult and controversial exercise, Mr. Blanchet proposed that three ridings in less populated regions of Eastern Quebec be abolished and replaced by three ridings in more densely populated areas near Montreal.
He applied the letter of the law without partisanship or favouritism. Yet the Liberal caucus was furious. Fearing a backlash from supporters in the regions, they refused to accept Mr. Blanchet's recommendations.
Mr. Blanchet became the target of personal attacks by some ministers and his integrity was called into question. A few weeks later, Mr. Blanchet, whose reputation had never before been questioned, announced he was retiring. He left his post on Dec. 31.
In the meantime, the Charest government announced it wanted to introduce new criteria to determine electoral boundaries and invited all parties to table proposals. The new rules were to be adopted by June, 2011.
That move prompted citizens from all regions of the province to create a coalition and begin pushing hard for changes that would protect ridings in outlying regions.
Last week, a consensus began to emerge between the political parties and the coalition of citizens. A special consultation process would be held to debate new criteria for defining electoral boundaries. One such criterion would protect ridings in less populated rural areas where they would not be required to have the same proportion of voters as those in urban areas.
The changes would then be adopted in law, allowing for the chief electoral officer to proceed with defining new electoral boundaries.
But at the last minute the Liberals backtracked. The caucus was clearly divided: Those representing Montreal-area ridings, where the Liberals are strongly represented, refused to accept that outlying ridings be defined along different criteria than those used to determine urban ridings.
Without notice, the government tabled a bill that suspended provisions in the Election Act and set out to unilaterally define a new election map. The bill calls for the creation of three new ridings, for a total of 128. The three rural ridings slated to disappear would be maintained. Another three ridings near Montreal would be created. A more permanent solution will be examined after the next general election.
The government's decision is contrary to the long-standing tradition in which changes to the Election Act have required a consensus from all political parties.
The coalition of citizens has demanded a meeting with Mr. Charest to convince his government to reconsider its position. His failure to do so may exact a heavy political price in the next election.
Rhéal Séguin